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Google raises its profile
In a deal that is drenched in symbolism, Google has signed an agreement with the Nasa Ames research centre to build a new corporate campus on its grounds in the heart of Silicon Valley.
The agreement is huge for Google: the company is moving into the birth chamber of Silicon Valley. The Ames Research Centre is based on the naval airbase Moffett Field. That also happens to house a hangar (left of the "a" on the map below) that was once used for the construction of Zeppelins.
Following the crash of the Hindenburg the factory was closed. But the technologists that worked there are said to have been instrumental in providing the early work force for Silicon Valley companies.
The new campus also is just stone's throw away Google's current dwelling.
Click image for a larger version
Tags: google, ames, nasa, mountain view, silicon valley
September 30, 2005 at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
eDonkey shuts down after all
Rumours about eDonkey's stubborn survival are highly overrated, it turned out earlier this week. The peer to peer file sharing network testified before a Senate Committee that it is has ceased to support its network.
The company leashed out against Reuters last week after the news agency reported that the company was facing troubles and had to close its New York office.
Not true, the company responded, we've merely moved. But the website still listed the New York address. And without a peer to peer network, eDonkey is like a grocery store without an entrance.
But don’t' mourn too much over the loss of eDonkey. Parent company still exists and allegedly is working on a new p2p network that no doubt will be shaped to prevent that a recent legal ruling by the US Supreme Court doesn't apply.
The RIAA nfor now has won a battle in the copyright war, but still doesn't look very good in the war.
Tags: RIAA, edonkey, p2p, peer to peer
September 29, 2005 at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack
A $94bn promise from the founder of EA Games
When Trip Hawkins left EA Games as CEO and started the mobile gaming company Digital Chocolate, he set out on a mission to create a $94bn market for mobile games. At least that's how he put it on Wednesday morning in a keynote at the CTIA Wireless IT and Entertainment tradeshow in San Francisco.
Hawkins is betting on social games to create this opportunity, and the first one called MLSN Sports Picks will be launched next month in the US.
Click here to watch a video of Hawkins' demonstration of the game (10.7 Mb .wmv download)
Hawkins at CTIA
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Tags: CTIA, CTIA wireless, gaming, digital chocolate, mobile gaming, Trip Hawkins
September 29, 2005 at 03:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
What's next in mobile services?
At the CTIA Wireless IT and Entertainment tradeshow in San Francisco a panel of European and Asian mobile operators were asked what consumer can expect next.
For your enjoyment below their predictions.
1: Mahesh Prasad, Presisdent with Reliance, an Indian CDMA carrier:
Voice recognition services
More localised content (non-western pop music for ringtones)
2: Graeme Ferguson, director of global content development with Vodafone:
Music download services
Mobile TV and messaging
3: JH Kah, vice president of Global with SKT (South Korea Telecom)
3G, as in:
Girls (porn)
Gambling
Games
4: Matt Dacey, head of Content for O2
Mobile blogging and communities: they don't cost operators a thing to create and drive a lot of traffic
From right to left: Mahesh Prasad, Masaaki Maeda (DoCoMo - not mentioned above), Graeme Ferguson, JH Kah, Matt Dacey.
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Tags: CTIA, CTIA wireless, O2, vodafone, SKT
September 29, 2005 at 03:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
SanDisk brings iPod on a chip
With the market of memory chips of digital cameras reaching a saturation point, SanDisk thinks it has found new hunting fields in storing digital content.
The company on Tuesday at the CTIA Wireless tradeshow in San Francisco unveiled its net TrustedFlash memory chips, bundling DRM technology on a flash memory chips which effectively creates an iPod on a chip.
It's a clever idea, if it works. SanDisk now allows memory chips to become the next version of the audio CD, and the technology just as easily can be used for storing games or video content.
The chip will play on mobile phones and in the future other versions are set to be released that will work other devices including PDAs and media players.
Future applications even will include the ability to play content from subscription music services such as Napster and Yahoo Music! Also, don't forget to add pay per view movies to the mix.
If only you wouldn't have to use a flash memory chip…
SanDisk chief executive Eli Harari
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Tags: CTIA, CTIA wireless, sandisk
September 28, 2005 at 02:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Is a secure mobile phone a silver lined hell?
The Trusted Computing Group (TCG) at the CTIA Wireless tradeshow in San Francisco unfolded an initiative that seeks to create specifications for hardware based security on a mobile phone.
The result will be very similar to the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) for desktop and laptop computers, which combines an encryption engine, unique identifier number and secure storage on a single chip.
For a mobile phone this could for instance allow a secure SIM-lock and prevent unauthorised software from installing on the device.
But as the EFF points out, this isn't all good. Some of the features are specifically aimed at limiting what a user can do with his mobile phone, even more so than is the case today. To add insult to injury, TCG now is even openly aiming DRM technology as one of the chips applications. With the desktop version the organisation at least created an image of being impartial, saying that the chip could be used for DRM, but wasn't designed for it.
In the mobile phone market, the consumer has already lost the battle for control over their devices. By subsidising handsets, they can make an argument for limiting which ringtones and software the consumer can use. And with a mobile TPM-like chip this will only get worse. Security will come at a very steep price.
Tags: TPM, trusted computing group, TCG, trusted platform group
September 28, 2005 at 02:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Gates' Windows Treo lie
When Bill Gates said at Monday's Window Treo press conference that he has been using his new Windows powered Treo mobile phone, it was rather obvious that he was lying. The Microsoft chairman was playing around with the device all the time during the event, making it rather obvious that this was the first time that he touched a Windows Treo.
Gates certainly didn't bother to take "his" new mobile phone home with him. On Tuesday at a keynote presentation at the CTIA Wireless tradeshow in San Francisco, Suzan DelBene, corporate vice president of marketing for Microsoft's mobile and embedded devices division, held up the device.
Her keynote was extremely boring and uneventful. You know for sure that a company isn't even trying to say something new or interesting when they send a marketing manager to deliver a keynote, but that's besides the point.
Back to Gates' Treo: DelBene even said the device she was holding up was the same that Gates had held the day before. She went on to say that they had been forced to disable its network connection because people kept calling the number and sending text messages after Palm had displayed the phone number on Monday.
Gates is one of those people that is important enough not to own a mobile phone (his assistant can carry one for him), although he is enough of a geek to carry one anyway.
But for the sake of honesty, don't claim that you have been using a device just because it sounds nice at a press conference, Mr. Gates. It makes me think what other things that you said were made up.
Gates om Monday - playing with his Treo.
DelBene on Tuesday holding the same phone
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tags: palm, Microsoft, Palm os, windows, windows mobile, treo, bill gates, CTIA, CTIA Wireless
September 28, 2005 at 02:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Motorola's and Apple's short lived love affair
There must have been a lot of truth to the rumours that the relationship between Apple and Motorola is a rocky one.
During a Churchill Club event last week, Motorola chief executive Ed Zander lashed out against the company that he had partnered with to create the Motola Rokr.
"Screw the Nano. What the hell does the Nano do? Who listens to 1,000 songs?" he said about Apple's newest member of the iPod family.
Zander's comments followed remarks by Steve Jobs earlier that week Apple Expo Paris about the disappointment called Motorola Rokr – better known as the iTunes phone.
“We wrote the iTunes software for that phone,” Jobs said in the understatement of the year. “We see it as something we can learn from. It was a way to put our toe in the water and learn something”.
Both executives have lots to be disappointed. Jobs would be right to be upset about the affront of a music playing telephone that the Rokr turned out to be. While Zander probably was sadended by the fact that most people left the unveiling of the Rokr talking about Apple's iPod Nano (which was presented the same day).
The relation between the two companies is said to have been rocky all along – Zander didn't even bother to show up for the Rokr's unveiling. Just consider this an additional chapter in a very thick book.
Steve Jobs unveils the Motorola Rokr
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Tags: apple, motorola, cingular, rokr, itunes
September 26, 2005 at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Gates on the future of PDAs vs. Smartphones (Windows Treo video)
With the days of the PDA's shortening what is the role of the seperate versions of Windows that have been availabable for portable devices? Watch the video to see what Gates has to say about this.
Click here to watch the video (1.5 Mb .wmv download)
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tags: palm, Microsoft, Palm os, windows, windows mobile, treo
September 26, 2005 at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Windows Treo screenshots
The new Windows Treo won't be shipping until early 2006, and until then Palm won't even give out a product name. The only details that the company did give were that the device is running on an Intel processor and has an EVDO wireless radio.
But a Palm executive this morning at the Windows Treo's unveiling in San Francisco did give a demonstration of some of the device's features:
Watch a PowerPoint presentation on your Treo. Useless for presentations of course, but good for editing or approving an emailed copy.
Outlook email reaches the Treo at last.
Palm enhanced the Windows software with some of its own features, including its reach address book...
...as well as support for multiple inboxes, both email and MMS and other messaging standards.
Palm CEO Ed Collingan touted Windows Mobile's rich media features as one of the device's most valuable features.
Combine a 3G wireless network with this streaming audio player, and you get radio on the go without the need to build in an AM/FM receiver.
Picture view of the address book, another Palm-only feature. Forgot Bill Gates' name? Just look up his picture.
Another feature that Palm thinks will help it win against the competition: Can't take a call? Sent a quick text message by pressing a single butting.
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tags: palm, Microsoft, Palm os, windows, windows mobile, treo
September 26, 2005 at 09:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Gates rings up Palm Treo (Windows Treo Pictures)
This morning in San Francisco Bill Gates joined Palm chief executive Ed Colligan and Verizon chief Denny Strigl to unveil the first Windows Mobile powered Treo Smart phone.
US consumers can expect to shelve out at least $500 for the new device, about $50 more than the current Treo, because it comes with a build in EVDO 3G wireless radio. That is bad news for the parts of the world that use GSM and UMTS, because EVDO is incompatible with UMTS. But no fear: the EVDO model is scheduled for "early next year", followed by a UMTS model "after the middle of 2006", said Palm chief Colligan.
Treo sounds like three for a reason - from left to right: Strigl, Gates, Colligan.
Bill Gates playing with his new Treo, calling his wife to tell her that he squashed yet another competitor (Palm OS).
It's still a Treo, except that you now get Outlook on it, among things.
Gates had plenty to smile about: Windows Mobile finally has a high volume smart phone manufacturer.
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tags: palm, Microsoft, Palm os, windows, windows mobile, treo
September 26, 2005 at 08:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Windows Treo unveiling on Monday?
Monday morning Bill Gates, Palm CEO Ed Colligan and Denny Strigl, chief executive of Verizon Wireless have scheduled a press conference in San Francisco.
Put one and one together and this can really only mean the official unveiling of the a Treo running Windows:
A Windows based Treo has been rumoured to be in the works ever since Palm One and PalmSource cut their ties after which Palm One became Palm again. Also the announcement is conveniently scheduled to coincide with the CTIA Wireless tradeshow and conference that is scheduled to kick off on Tuesday in San Francisco.
The device would mark the first Palm product that isn't powered by the PalmOS operating system.
The Windows Treo is the worst kept secret in the wireless industry, but could very well turn around Palm's fortunes in the mobile device market.
The old treo - running PalmOS
Tags: Windows mobile, palm, microsoft, treo, treo 700w
September 24, 2005 at 12:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Google Code Jam winners
Polish student Marek Cygan from Warsaw won the first price of $10,000. Dutch student Erik-Jan Krijgsman from the University of Twente finished second, followed by Petr Mitrichev from the Moscow State University in third place. Both received a $5,000 cash price, and a trophee made out of lego.
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tags: google, code jam, programming, competition, topcoder
September 24, 2005 at 12:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
What? Women can code too? (Google Code Jam Pictures)
For the first time in the history of Google Code Jam, a woman made it to the final round:
Stefanie
Leitzka from Germany, nickname: [Reyhot]
"We've got a ways to go to improve the diversity," Jeff Huber, Google vice president of engineering told Silicon Valley Sleuth. "Hopefully, Stephanie's participation today creates a role model."
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tags: google, code jam, programming, competition, topcoder
September 23, 2005 at 09:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Dress code (Google Code Jam Pictures)
What should you wear when you compete in Google Code Jam 2005?
A guide to what's hot and what's not in today's coding scene.
Hot: Ralph Furmaniak chose to wear his karate outfit. If your application fails, you can always use those martial arts skills on your monitor
Not. Obviously not. A Yahoo T-shirt from the Collegiate challenge... what are you thinking... oh... wait... that must be humour.
Not: Jan Kuipers. "Top 10 reasons to be a Yahoo! intern" printed on the back of his shirt. Sergey says: if you like them so much, why don't you go there?
Jan's PC later also would mysteriously crash, some Google employees predicted.
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tags: google, code jam, programming, competition, topcoder
September 23, 2005 at 08:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Write code, get a job with Google (Google Code Jam Pictures)
This (Friday) morning 100 coders descended down on Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California for the third edition of Google Code Jam, an international coding competition.
The winner got a trophy made out of lego and $10,000. Google and Lego go way back. The founders use the toy buidling blocks for their very first server and even today they still have a fondness for bright colours.
The group, coming from 32 countries, is all that was left of 14,500 contestants who entered the competition online. Google wouldn't give out the problem they had to solve prior to announcing the final winner later this day.
Pervious editions asked the competitors to create an application that would find the fastest route out of a maze or select the largest group of people that knew each other inside a social network.?
In addition to creating an event where the best programmers of the world can compete against each other, Google uses the competition to find talent. About one third of the competitors are interviewing for a job, but the competition doesn't provide a shortcut into the company, Google claims.
Contestants set up their computers.
All contestants had to work on a PC running Windows XP. Internet connections were available but they were only allowed to use code checking tools - no cheating by asking your buddies at home to help out.
From what we could see one of the older contestants, and the only one with a beard: Steve Newman, nickname: [snewman]
Radhu Berinde, nickname: [texel] gets into a coding mode
First prize: $10,000 worth of lego
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tags: google, code jam, programming, competition, topcoder
September 23, 2005 at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Virus hops from phone to PC
How often do you put the memory chip that is build into your mobile phone in your computer?
The question isn't as silly as it appears. A new mobile phone virus for the Symbian operating system will create an additional threat by putting the Wukill virus on the memory card of you phone, if you have one. Put the card in your PC and Windows is infected too.
The scenario is very unlikely at the moment. Even if your phone happens to have a memory card, I doubt that you put it in your PC very often (I've never done so). Why remove the battery if you can use Bluetooth to transfer files? And in the future you can transfer them even easier via high speed wireless networks.
Because the worm is unlikely to cause much harm, it is considered more of a proof of concept virus from an author that wanted to demonstrate the attack method rather than infect systems. It also reminds us that every step we take to make our devices more secure, the opposition will come up with some new that forces us to respond.
Will this battle ever be over?
Symbian phone with 16Mb memory chip
Tags: mobile phone, symbian, security, worm, virus
September 22, 2005 at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
The Sony magic is over
Sony is cutting 10,000 jobs, mostly outside of Japan. The company that once was the standard for the consumer electronics industry also plans to close 11 of its 65 factories.
It isn't a big secret that Sony's performance has been sub par. The company used to lead with its televisions, audio devices and single handedly created the category of the Walkman. But today Apple's iPod and low cost manufacturers from South East Asia lead the way. Sony is also nowhere to be seen in the emerging market of home networking.
Only a few visionary enterprises succeed in holding on to a business lead for long periods of time. The majority has a good run and then fades away.
September 22, 2005 at 07:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Email stupidity
It's a known fact that data thieves and hackers don't need advanced computer skills to obtain sensitive information. You can simply rely on a lack of common sense with most computer users, as I was privileged to witness earlier this week.
Neither my first or last name are very unique, which repeatedly causes people to send me emails because they misspelled a domain name or email address.
Last week a person with a name similar to mine working for Scalable Software asked his IT administrator to forward all email to his Gmail account. Except that he was so illiterate that he was unable to correctly spell his address and instead gave out mine.
While the problem was corrected earlier today, the snafu resulted in me receiving several dozen of Scalable's emails (I was away on vacation and didn't notice it earlier).
Most of the messages were boring or irrelevant: Colleagues in Scalable's Houston office are evacuating because of hurricane Rita and will be staying with grandma.
But they really got my attention with a message with the subject line: "Internal Only: [Name omitted] Visit Summary". Nothing says "read me" like a confidentiality disclaimer and a survey about a client's satisfaction.
Scalable among things develops an application to manage software licenses, but apparently there are some issues with the Mac version.
The client had problems installing the application because it couldn't be installed over a network. Also there is "frustration" with users because "they did not know how to change the views" for the software catalog, the email explained and apparently the software lacks an intuitive design that allows users to quickly retrieve information.
But overall the "Customer is happy and would like to see us continue to enhance our MAC cataloging."
"Most of these issues/frustrations were related to lack of training and understanding."
For starters the client wouldn't be very happy to see this email get published. Secondly competitors would be thrilled to get their hands on this email. If you mistype an address, you never know where it will end up.
Disclaimer: I have chosen to publish select excerpts from the email to illustrate how a small mistake can have grave consequences. Also this individual should take responsibility for his poor security skills, which is more likely to happen after a public scolding. Lastly, by omitting the client's name I believe that the real damage will remain limited, yet that Scalable will still be fully made aware of the risks involved with their current security policy.
Tags: security, disclosure, email, data leak
September 22, 2005 at 06:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
WinFS blurs the borders between files and data
Microsoft's new Windows File Systems (WinFS) promises to blur the border between files and data items. WinFS is currently in beta.
The fact that your computer puts an email message in a database inside Outlook shouldn't limit what you can do with that message, but it currently does.
Within the constraints of Outlook (and even more so in Entourage, the Outlook equivalent for Mac OS X) users can already link messages with calendar appointments and "to do" items. But why not add mp3, digital pictures and locations to the mix?
In a presentation at Professional Developer Conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft showed off some of the technology's capabilities. Click here to watch a promotional video (6.7 Mb .wmv file) that Microsoft showed to attendees in a session, explaining the technology.
Two examples of what WinFS can do (click the image for a larger, although somewhat blurry version):
File Store: think of this one as a data management and query building tool. File Store is shipping with the current beta of WinFS and allows the user to see all items. The queries build here are accessible for all applications.
Life Journal: an application that puts data on a chronologic timeline. The yellow bar represents the owners bike riding events, other bars show work related, home improvement and other projects. It links calendar appointments, journal entries and pictures as well as other data related to this project. The system automatically organises the data and the user can further fine tune it.
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tags: microsoft, pdc, professional developer conference , windows, windows vista, vista, office 12, WinFS
September 15, 2005 at 07:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Speed up Windows Vista with a USB key (PDC video)
Windows Vista uses a new technology called "Superfetch" to allow the system to faster load applications and data. The technology will preload data into the system's memory, having it ready when the user needs it.
Delivering a cool innovation, the Vista also allows users to add USB memory keys to a system's virtual memory, pre-loading data into its memory.
Watch the video below to see Jim Allchin, Microsoft's group vice president for platforms, demonstrate the technology at Professional Developer Conference in Los Angeles.
Click here to watch the movie (6.0Mb .wmv download)
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tags: microsoft, pdc, professional developer conference , windows, windows vista, vista, office 12, expression
September 15, 2005 at 06:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Microsoft launches assault on Adobe (PDC Pictures)
During a keynote of Eric Rudder, senior vice president for server and tools at the Professional Developer Conference this morning here in Los Angeles, Microsoft unveiled its Expression suite of graphical applications.
The average consumer shouldn't get too excited about this, but it will appeal to corporate developers, and then mostly graphic designers who have to work with those developers.
Delegates didn't see much of Rudder himself, as the stage only after a brief introduction and let corporate vice president David Treadwell do most of the work.
Eric Rudder
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tags: microsoft, pdc, professional developer conference , windows, windows vista, vista, office 12, expression
September 14, 2005 at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Microsoft offers steak knives for bugs (PDC Pictures)
Steven Sinofsky, Microsoft's senior vice president for Office, today further dove into details about the forthcoming version of Microsoft Office, codenamed Office 12.
Yesterday the company unveiled the application's new user interface that should point the user to the application's features through the use of dynamic tool bars that will change with the task that the user is performing (eg: table toolbar when editing tables, graphics toolbar when...), while getting rid of the text menu bar altogether.
Today mostly brought details about the server side of the new Office, allowing workers to collaborate, share documents and the system's new content management capabilities.
On the light side, Sinofsky offered a set of Office steak knives (picture below) to the first 100 people who file a bug report for the upcoming beta of Office 12 that is due out later this year and will be sent to all PDC attendees (the final product is scheduled for release late 2006). We'll keep you to that promise, Steven.
--
Update: The third best know Microsoft employee Robert Scoble already has a set. And he didn't even report a bug (I assume).
The knives: "But wait, there is more!"
<create your own caption, suggestions accepted in the comment section below>
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tags: microsoft, pdc, professional developer conference , windows, windows vista, vista, office 12
September 14, 2005 at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
HP continues to erase Fiorina's legacy
HP today has ended its sponsor relationship with the BMW Williams Fomula 1 racing team.
Although the server vendor gave little explanation about its decision, it has chief executive Mark Hurd's signature all over it. As one manager with the company explained the other night over beers, "core business" is the new mantra inside the company today. Back then he already predicted that the Williams deal wouldn't last much longer.
Although the sponsorship deal pre-dated Fiorina's tenure as HP chief executive (HP inherited it through the Compaq acquisition), high profile deals such as this one were Fiorina's preferred way to go.
HP has one other sponsor/partnership that is boring me sleepless: Dreamworks. No Fiorina keynote without the vendor explaining how the animated movie maker was saved from certain disaster by a cluster of HP servers. After three times, that gets really boring.
No offence to Dreamworks, but I wouldn't mind if Hurd axed that deal too. Or at least stops talking about it during company keynotes.
tags: hp, fiorina, mark hurd, williams, formula 1
September 14, 2005 at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Jim Alchin longs for the 1.0 days (PDC Pictures)
Microsoft Group Program Manager for Platforms Jim Alchin actually delivered the most intesting part of the opening keynote this morning (see previous slides). Part of it must be that Bill Gates is actually the most unquotable executive in the high tech industry - he hasn't met a sentence that he can finish properly.
Jim Alchin longs back to the good old days of Windows 1.0 (PC running the first version of the operating system on his left)
"Don't bother me with those fancy graphics"
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tags: microsoft, pdc, professional developer conference , windows, windows vista, vista
September 13, 2005 at 08:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
The cool in Office 12 (PDC Pictures)
At the Microsoft Professional Developer Conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft this morning gave a first public demonstration of Office 12.
There won't be much innovations in the suite, but rather Microsoft will do a better job at telling users what options are available, the company said.
Among the new features:
Easy tools to visualise data:
Left: four lowest numbers highlighted.
Centre: Blue bar shows the number (big bar: big number)
Right: show trends
Two pictures below: after selecting text to change the font, hovering over a font will show a preview of the font in the document.
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tags: microsoft, pdc, professional developer conference , windows, windows vista, vista
September 13, 2005 at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Microsoft shows off Internet Explorer 7 innovations (PDC Pictures)
At Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference here in Los Angeles, Microsoft showed that Internet Explorer <cynicism> isn't just about catching up with Firefox </cynicism>.
So what does IE7 offer?
A website's security certificate will now show up by clicking on the
little yellow lock that has been moved to the top of the window (it
used to be at the bottom). Also IE7 offers an opt-in phishing site blocking technology that tags suspicious sites and uses blacklists of known scams.
Not only will IE7 offer tabbed browsing, you can actually see all tabs at once. Now that is innovation.
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tags: microsoft, pdc, professional developer conference , windows, windows vista, vista
September 13, 2005 at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Windows Vista takes partental controls to the next level (PDC Pictures)
Microsoft is building new access control technology into Windows Vista to keep kids, among things, from playing games that are rated for mature audiences. The nice thing is that the software will now recognise age guidance settings and automatically, keeping junior from playing games rated "M" for mature and the likes.
The user can access all games in a single spot, regardless of their actual location on the hard drive.
One click sets game age controls, based on the standards set by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
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tags: microsoft, pdc, professional developer conference , windows, windows vista, vista
September 13, 2005 at 08:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Bill Gates kicks off PDC (PDC Pictures)
Bill Gates opened Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference this morning in Los Angeles. The event is meant to warm up developers for the forthcoming version of Windows Vista.
In addition to some small technology news announcements, the software vendor gave an on stage demonstration of Windows Vista as well as a first public demo of Office 12.
Poking a little fun, Microsoft made a movie based on the Napoleon Dynamite movie. In this picture Gates has a booth at a job fair at Napoleon's high school. The big line is for the booth "future farmers of America". Napoleon decides to talk to Gates, claiming that he is "like the best hacker".
Gates on skates, being pulled by Napoleon on his bicycle.
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tags: microsoft, pdc, professional developer conference , windows, windows vista, vista
September 13, 2005 at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Does God hate Windows Vista?
The day before Bill Gates is scheduled to kick off the Professional
Developers Conference in Los Angeles, the downtown area of Los Angeles
where the event is held was hit by a power outage. A utility worker cut a cable by mistake, leading to a domino of mishaps that at its peak took out three power substations.
The blackout also hit the LA Convention Centre where pre-conference tracks were taking place.
The Professional Developers Conference was first held in October 2003 in Los Angeles as a one time event to inform developers about the forthcoming version of Windows Vista. Microsoft last year decided to add a second PDC to allow developers to learn more about the system. The event definitely meets some demands, as has sold out several weeks ago.
Back in 2003 too the PDC was hit by elements out side of Microsoft's control. A large forest fire in area outside of LA affected flight traffic over the city, delaying many attendees and preventing others from attending altogether.
Two points form a line, form a trend. Could it be that some higher force is trying to send Microsoft a message?
tags: los angeles, pdc, professional developer conference, microsoft, windows, windows vista, blackout
September 13, 2005 at 12:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
A Microsoft recruiting cold call gone wrong
What happens when a Microsoft head hunter tries to recruit a fierce open source proponent? Two words: blog posting.
Eric Raymond last week received an email from a Microsoft recruiter, informing if he would be interested to work for the software vendor.
Raymond is a Unix/Linux programmer and co-founded the Open Source Initiative.
As people do with things that make them laugh, Raymond posted the email on his blog.
"Your name and contact info was brought to my attention as someone who could potentially be a contributor at Microsoft. I would love an opportunity to speak with you in detail about your interest in a career at Microsoft, along with your experience, background and qualifications," a recruiter by the name of Mike Walters wrote.
Raymond replied (excerpts): "Either you or your research team (or both) couldn’t get a clue if it were pounded into you with baseball bats. What were you going to do with the rest of your afternoon, offer jobs to Richard Stallman and Linus Torvalds? Or were you going to stick to something easier, like talking Pope Benedict into presiding at a Satanist orgy?"
" I’ve in fact been something pretty close to your company’s worst nightmare since about 1997. You’ve maybe heard about this “open source” thing?"
"On the day *I* go to work for Microsoft, faint oinking sounds will be heard from far overhead, the moon will not merely turn blue but develop polkadots, and hell will freeze over so solid the brimstone will go superconductive."
Blogs: a place to expose and flame stupidity.
Eric Raymond
Tags: microsoft, open source, open source initiative, eric raymond, OSI
September 12, 2005 at 07:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Larry Ellison gets his revenge
Oracle has agreed to acquire Siebel Systems for $5.85b.
For Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison, the deal is a victory on multiple fronts.
For starters the acquisition eliminates another competitor in the enterprise software market and strengthens its portfolio in the battle for market dominance against SAP.
But it also means check mate in a personal feud between the founders of the two vendors: Tom Siebel and Larry Ellison.
Siebel used to work for Oracle and came up with the idea for customer relationship management software while he was there. Siebel pitched the idea to Ellison, who turned it down. Siebel left and went on to found Siebel Systems. Initially the venture was a great success and at that time Tom Siebel all too happy to rub his success into Ellison's face.
Needless to say that the two gentlemen didn't get along very well anymore.
Then the tide turned. CRM lost its shine, users shunned the software and projects started to fail. Meanwhile hosted CRM emerged as the new promise, a movement that Siebel failed to spot or address. Tom Siebel stepped back as chief executive for Siebel Systems, but that couldn't stop the firm's downward spiral.
Last year Larry Ellison testified in federal court that Siebel had come to his house to ask him to by his software venture. Ellison declined. Siebel kept slipping.
The $5.85b that Oracle offered today is still a considerable amount of money, but a far cry from Siebel's valuation back in 2002.
Tom Siebel tried to battle his former boss, but in the end he failed.
Larry Ellison
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Tags: oracle, siebel, acquisition
September 12, 2005 at 05:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
PalmSource acquired by mystery buyer
PalmSource has been bought up by Japanese software maker Access, which is best known for developing a mobile browser.
Although this is good news for users of Palm OS devices, the question remains what Access plans to do with the company, and why it felt it should spend $324.3m on the vendor.
Palm OS has an installed based of about 40 million devices, but its future versions of the operating system that Access is really after.
PalmSource is working on a new version of its software that is based on the Linux open source operating system. This should solve the firm's largest problem: a lack of developers who make applications that run on Palm OS devices.
Especially the promise of mobile phones running Linux should appeal to Access, the envisions a world in which applications are streamed over a wireless network to the phone's screen. Owning the operating system is one way to make sure that is your browser I guess.
Former PalmSource CEO David Nagel, last May at the PalmSource Developer Conference in San Jose. The day before he had stept down unexpetedly.
tags: access, palmsource, palmos, palm, palmone
September 10, 2005 at 03:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Inside the exciting world of IT security
After a summer of bugs and worms, the security community on the Full Disclosure mailing list is taking a quick break. Witness relaxing security-geek style:
--ORIGINAL POST--
From: Dave Cawley
Subject:
[Full-disclosure] Secuirty Hole Found In Dave's Sock
Date:
9/8/2005
Vulnerability Found: Hole In Dave's Socket
Affected System: Dave's Right Sock
Severity:
Rating: Moderately Critical
Impact: System access
Where: Foot
Description of Vulnerability: This morning while putting my socks on I found a small (1/4 inch) hole by my big toe. This could be exploited by a virus through the bottom of the foot or under the toe nail. This could be used to compromise Dave's entire system.
Solution: No permanent solution is currently available. A work around is to wear the sock on the other foot to have the hole above the small toe where it will not be furthur enlarged, it will proboably fold over and partially cover the vulnerability. Permanent solution coming in either a sock darning or upgrading the unit to a new sock.
Time Table: Found at 7:48am on Sept 8th, 1005
Work around figured out at 7:49am on Sept 8th, 2005
Permanent Solution Pending
Credits:
Found by Dave
References: No references available.
--REPLY--
From: "Swain, Kenneth"
I have already heard about an exploit in
the wild.
--REPLY--
From: "y0himba"
What company is this sock from? Should I run out and upgrade my socks? I see you failed to notify the vendor. Is there a reason for this? Yous hould always notify the vendor before
posting the exploit or hole in public...
--REPLY--
From: "MacDougall, Shane"
This vuln was already released on 7/21/05
by Thor. Please don't take credit for other people's findings.
--REPLY--
From: Rob
Dave,
Please don't rehash 1000 year old vulnerabilities unless you are adding new info...
Thanks
--REPLY--
From: "Dave Cawley"
Sorry, vendor is Gold Toe. I will alert them immediately. This is my first reporting, I tried to follow protocol as closely as possible. I just got so excited..
--
From: "Craig, Tobin
Dave,
A number of patches are available, all dependent upon the severity of the vulnerability. I had always assumed this to be a feature, but now that it's been observed elsewhere, I'll initiate a full audit of my environment.
I also recommend that you carry spare socks to maintain continuity of operations.
Just a thought,
Tobin
--
From: "Dave Cawley"
It's hard to get the socks from different pairs to sync up. This can cause confusion for people viewing the socks and in turn cause a high volume of inquiries to the system administrator. But I'll give it the old college try. Thanks for the input!
--REPLY--
From: "Craig, Tobin"
It seems that the proprietary and the open source manufacturers agreed upon a standardized default configuration: all models are designed with one hole, used for deployment. Are you reporting the existence of a second hole, or is this an observation of the factory installed default configuration?
My recommendation is to isolate the sock until a full forensic examination can be performed.
Just another thought,
Tobin
--REPLY--
From: "Dave Cawley"
The sock came with the factory installed configuration. This hole is not part of that configuration and there is no mechanism in the origial configuration to close this one off.
--REPLY--
From: worried
GE, Maytag, Kenmore and numerous others have been implicated in a massive skimming scheme. Socks placed into washers and dryers with the appropriate mate tend to exit the cleaning process alone.
Several Gov't agencies released today the findings of a multi-year investigation and have concluded that the companies in question are skimming socks and reselling them to 3rd world countries for profit.
--REPLY--
From: Daffey Duck
All users had been warned to update their Soft Wear. Thos who didn't are now experiencing the horrible consequences of their incompetence.
I realize that for new users, like Dave, soft wear can be confusing and frustrating. It was for me, as well until I educated myself.
As usual, the Birkenstock users are protected. However, security by obscurity will always fail.
--REPLY--
From: Danny
This is NOT proper disclosure, Dave. You must contact the vendor first. My cousins, uncles, nephews sister works for Fruit of the Loom; I will attempt to locate a security contact there.
I just spoke with my girlfriend, and she has also confirmed that she has holes -- although there is only one way that I am aware of to fill her holes.
Until the hole is patched, do not put your sock on your cock. This could result in a buffer overflow.
--REPLY--
From: Vladimir Parkhaev
Dave,
your work around is very complicated and requires usage of 2 feet. Only Windows users have to perform this complex task of sock switching. There is a simple workaround for UNIX users: It is enough for UNIX users to simply turn the sock inside out and continue wearing it on the same foot.
There is more details in B. W. Kernighan, The Unix System and Softwear Reusability, Proc. Workshop on Softwear Reusability, pp. 235-239, Newport RI, September 1983,
(Reprinted in IEEE Trans. on Software Engineering Vol SE-10 (5) pp. 513-518 September 1984) .
September 9, 2005 at 05:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Gates takes on tuberculosis
With a single $2.9 million donation, Bill Gates appears to have succeeded where governments for decades have failed.
That's the sum that the Aeras foundation invested in a tuberculosis medicine under development that by next year will start clinical trials. The foundation in its turn received a $82.9 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Tuberculosis, as it turns out, every year kills about 2 million people in third world countries . If you save those people, they can earn incomes, pay taxes and help build up the local economies. A $2.9m investment seems a small sum to save 2 million lives.
But why do we need Bill Gates to fund this research? Isn't that what governments are supposed to do?
I couldn't help but think about how Gates created a monopoly in the software market that – as has been ruled by a federal judge – hurt consumers and enterprises. At the same time he is using the billions that he gained through his actions to make the world a better place and solve problems that governments are unable to solve.
This world gets more confusing all the time.
Tags: microsoft, bill gates, tuberculosis
September 9, 2005 at 02:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Ebay and Skype, sitting in a tree?
If you believe the rumours, Ebay is interested in buying Skype.
It doesn’t surprise me for the simple reason that the past summer the VoIP provider has been said to be talking to everyone with a few billion in the bank, including Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. Ebay too has plenty of money, bundled with ambitions to get bigger.
At a first glance, the two companies have little in common. Skype offers software that allows internet calling. Ebay owns companies that bring buyers and sellers together – be it through auctions, classified ads or rental listing.
Given that Skype is said to cost anything from $2bn – $5bn, Ebay better have a plan to earn back that investment. They could do that by offering a VoIP calling feature to its sellers on Ebay. A less likely scenario is that Ebay wants to become a telecommunications company that offers VoIP services to consumers and/or enterprises.
But is either worht $2bn or more? Skype isn’t priced so expensively because the company has VoIP technology, but because it comes with a network of millions of users. Anyone who buys the company does so because they want to monetise that user group.
If Ebay wanted to offer a VoIP calling feature, they can buy one for less than $2bn. And the auction site certainly doesn’t need to buy the users to turn them into buyers on its websites.
That only leaves the diversification theory: Ebay wants to expand its business beyond "connecting buyers and sellers". Or the whole story isn't more than rumours.
September 9, 2005 at 02:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Google moves beyond search
Google might make all of its money by selling advertisements next to your and mine search results, the company today send a strong signal that it is aiming for something far greater than just search by hiring Vinton Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the internet.
Cerf co-created the TCP/IP technology that allows us to send data over a vast, highly s